tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34227694482597624432024-02-20T17:50:53.674-08:00What E is readingMost of my books are either Kindle Freebies or book review copies like booksneeze.com or netgalley.com I am not required nor do I feel obligated to give favorable reviews in return for free books.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-9497566679744440582017-03-16T14:53:00.001-07:002017-03-17T05:01:11.150-07:00Prayers for a Simpler Life by Faith Sommers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was provided this book for free by the publisher to post
an honest review.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At first I was struggling with this book, her theology
doesn't exactly match with my main line Methodist theology and there were some
distinct areas where we parted ways, but the more I read these devotionals the
more at peace I felt. Despite our vastly different lifestyles I found her
devotionals useful in my own life and found myself thinking well, "we
aren't so different after all are we?"<o:p></o:p></div>
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I really liked how she deferred to God for the answers to
the questions we can't know the answer to, like one person is spared while
another falls ill or dies. It's hard to trust God in the walk when the path is
scary. It's hard to trust God to protect your loved ones when they are out in
the world. But she makes a point in that only God can know God’s ways and we
are not called to understand them, just trust that He will provide for our
protection in His way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Her devotion on hurrying children really hit me as just before
reading that section I was speaking to someone about how slow my daughter is in
the morning and how frustrating it is to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to stop an think of how impatient God
could get with me. He’s been waiting more than twenty years for me to do some things.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are so many ways she took a topic in a surprising
direction leading me to say, “hmm, I never thought of it like that before.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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I nearly put the book down early on because her theology is
so different than mine and I assumed she had nothing to teach me. I’m very glad
I stuck with it and took away what I needed and appreciated her cultural differences.
In the United Methodist Church we say we are United in Body not in thought.
Which means we are all Methodists but that doesn’t mean we agree on everything.
There is strength in diversity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Simpler-Life-Meditations-Mennonite/dp/1513801260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489701137&sr=8-1&keywords=Prayers+for+a+simpler+life" target="_blank">Buy the book here on amazon.com</a></div>
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Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-19307839321988058702011-07-19T16:34:00.000-07:002011-07-19T16:35:39.682-07:00The Journey to the Well -- Diana Wallis Taylor<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This is the first book I've read in a long time that I did not read because I needed something from it, other than entertainment. I was not given a free copy by a publisher upon agreeing to review it. I read it for pure pleasure. I read it because I felt I <i>had</i> to read it. And I'm glad I was led to read this book.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before I read this book, I found stories about the Woman at the well in many other books I was reading. In fact it seemed as if she just kept popping up all over my life. I figured maybe I needed to better understand her. Then this book popped up on the free e-book list. So I downloaded it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The writing was splendid. I was grabbed immediately and never let go. I had to finish this book, I felt compelled to keep reading long after I should have been in bed. The character development was incredible, none of the characters were flat, and Marah was strong and beautiful inside and out. She had dreams of meeting Jesus long before the encounter at the well and those dreams kept her hanging on, and kept her strong.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Her five husbands were dealt with in depth and you saw clearly how she came to be where she was. From a historical perspective, it was also clear how she could have had five husbands and a live in lover and yet still not really been at fault. Many women in that time were not in control of their own fates.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm not a biblical scholar, so I don't know how closely this may or may not follow the stories of her in the Bible. I have read as many accounts of the interaction she had with Jesus as I could find in the Gospels. I found nothing in this book that contradicts those accounts. Mostly though I found myself looking at my life and thinking about how it would have felt to be her sitting there knowing the man you are talking to knows all about you and loves you anyway. I thought about how it would feel to stand before Jesus and feel that unconditional, complete and total love.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's a beautiful story of how God takes our brokenness and makes it something beautiful.</span><br />
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</span></div>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-42258323033116327532011-06-27T18:11:00.000-07:002011-06-27T18:11:14.191-07:00Forever After by Deborah RaneyI loved it! This book hooked from the first chapter and never let go. It is a beautiful love story, of God's Love for us all. Jenna is trying to find her life after her husband's death but doing so only highlights how much she doesn't even know who she is. Lucas thought he knew who he was but a fire took his entire Life's Purpose away. They stumble into each other then deny the magic between them selves for quite a while.<div><br />
</div><div>This book has finally done Christian fiction right. It is most definitely Fiction and it showed God's love and relationships all the way through. I've had trouble lately finding fiction that wasn't afraid to show God. This book, is unapologetically Christian.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There wasn't a moment of slow story. So many plots intertwined with each other something was always happening. I loved the way Deborah switched back and forth between Lucas and Jenna as the narrator. This book was just fantastic and such a breath of fresh air for me. I can't wait to read more of her stuff!</div><div><br />
</div>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-49883512543990781402011-04-19T17:21:00.000-07:002011-04-19T17:21:29.016-07:00Max on Life by Max LucadoMax Lucado never disappoints. From Hermie to Six Hours One Friday, Max Lucado delivers his topic in a touching heartfelt way. Max on Life is no different. He tackles the tough issues with Love and Admiration. As all Christians are called to do. This book is the conversation we've all wanted to have with Max. I've trusted him for advice on living a Christian life for many years, and now I can go to an indexed topical book and flip right to a quick answer on my question.<br />
<br />
What does God think about Divorce? Page 146<br />
What does God think about homosexuality? Page 132<br />
Which religion has it right? and why? Page 224<br />
How do I control my temper? Page 45<br />
How do I stop worrying? Page 192<br />
Why doesn't God Heal me/my loved ones? Page 82<br />
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I really enjoyed this book, much like I've enjoyed every other book I've read by Max Lucado. I will recommend it to all my friends and family however I will keep my copy for myself!<br />
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I was provided a copy of this book by the Publisher, I was not required to write a favorable review.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-31893121470288433872011-04-07T20:57:00.000-07:002011-04-07T20:57:59.660-07:00Divine Appointments by Charlene Ann BraumbichI really loved this book. It was such a new spin on the chick lit genre. The main character, Josie was a lot unlikeable at first. She seemed cold, harsh and alone. I couldn't get her. But then as the book unfolded, Josie opened up and the reader realized she longed to be a part of something just like everyone else.<br />
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The water symbolism through out the book was a great play on ideas. God is often seen as quenching a thirst and an eternal spring. It was weird to see this play out as a Christian looking in because I already knew what it was all about and Josie seemed to have no idea.<br />
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The relationships at Diamond Mutual were illustrated nicely. You could feel the camaraderie. Especially with Barb's interactions with Lyle, Marsha and some of the others. Barb was the opposite of Josie. She had so many relationships and active encouragement you could see her life overflowing. The firings hit home for me as I experienced a similar layoff while reading the book. It is a very humiliating and dehumanizing experience. <br />
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I did not enjoy reading Marsha's fiction. While I understand the logic for it's existence in the book, I found it to be very vindictive and vengeful. It just wasn't my taste. <br />
<br />
All in all I really loved the book and all the changes the characters made as they grew in their lives and careers. I would highly recommend this book to a friend and in fact already have!Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-46782482344133179552011-03-24T05:53:00.000-07:002011-03-24T05:53:21.367-07:00The Treasure of God's Word: Celebrating 400 Years of the King James Bible<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Absolutely gorgeous gift book for a King James Version Bible Lover. It has a leather-appearance Binding with gold leaf on the edges. The book is divided into different subjects with each major section sharing history of the the version. It begins by introducing the KJV Bible and giving the initial history.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The KJV of the Bible is the most popular version and some feel the most closely related to the original intent. The verses for each section are woven together and support each other well. This is a small book and by no means an exhaustive concordance. It's intended to be a gift for perhaps someone for Christmas or graduation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The cover and pages have been treated to look older and this adds to the charm of the book. It is a beautifully bound gift book and I highly recommend it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher to write a review. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.</span>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-66357127824471690912011-03-05T06:22:00.001-08:002011-03-05T06:29:40.063-08:00Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Save the Date</i> is a quick, funny, light, beach read. I enjoyed it for those qualities. The characters were developed and while stereo-typical not cardboard cutouts. I liked that this book was set in my hometown of Charleston, SC. I did not like the virtual absence of setting description. Charleston is known for it's beautiful settings, I cannot understand why more of it did not make it into the book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The plot was predictable, they fall in love while pretending to be in love. It wasn't a great shock. There were some shocking revelations, however Lucy and Alex falling in love is not one of them. Over all the book was a nice read.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In this genre, I am finding lately a lot less Christianity in "Christian Fiction". I'd like to see more from the Christian authors. More overt Christianity in the Christian characters. More church attendance. More praying over decisions. Just in general Christians acting more like Christians. This isn't a condition limited to Jenny, I just noticed it while reading her book. There were times when I felt reading this that it was not very Christian-like. Yes, it's cleaner than the typical romance or chick lit novel, but I did not find myself coming away with any revelations or Christian behaviors I wanted to emulate.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All in all I'd recommend this book to a friend, but not as a Christian book.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was provided a copy of this book by Booksneeze.com to write a review. I am not expected to nor do I feel obligated to write a positive review.</span>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-43159420809821029242011-03-05T05:57:00.000-08:002011-03-05T06:30:08.485-08:00The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman<i>The Pirate Queen</i> sucks you in right away and doesn't let go until the last page. As a matter of fact I reached the last page and looked for more. I have already recommended this book to others!<br />
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Saphora the main character decides after 30 years of her husband Bender's infidelity she is done. She packs her clothes and readies herself to leave. She wants to live for herself for once. Just before she walks out the door her husband comes home and tells her he's dying. Suddenly her plans and her world are turned upside down. This amazing book is the beautiful story of them both finding the loves of their lives again. She remembers all the reasons and moments of her life that made her love him. He finds God and in that his love for her and shame over his awful treatment of her.<br />
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This book is about the long road to forgiveness and how sometimes receiving it is harder than giving it.<br />
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The supporting characters were well-developed, well-researched and integrated into the story. The childhood friend of Saphora's grandson, Tobias was a nice foil to Bender's old persona. Tobias had been mistreated and dealt a really crappy hand from birth, and still he was considerate, loving and giving. Bender on the other hand seems to have lived a charmed life and was awful in the way he used and discarded people. Saphora seems to think she offers nothing and yet she is the glue that holds them all together. She is thread for all these disparate characters.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Ms. Hickman.<br />
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I received this book for free from Waterbrook publishers as part of its blogging for books program. I am not expected nor obligated to write a positive review.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-76357678320096508112011-02-15T18:47:00.001-08:002011-02-15T18:47:44.130-08:00Living in the Overlap: How Jesus' Kingdom Proclamation can Transform Your World by Steve Schaefer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This book was difficult to get into. I was provided this book by Glass Road PR to participate in a Book Tour. If I hadn't had to read it for the review, I might have put it down and walked away.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm glad I kept reading, I would have missed a great book and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be a Christian. The classic questions posed to every Christian by every atheist, agnostic and even weakened Christian are addressed here, in the book. While nobody can know for sure why for example, God heals some people and not others, we can know that when Christ returns and the full glory of God's kingdom is set up here on earth, we will all be free of disease and suffering. I was raised Southern Baptist, like the author and found myself nodding along to the rules of the Baptist Church I grew up in. His line about Baptists being against premarital sex because it leads to dancing was classic and made me laugh. I also understand much better the Baptists philosophy of being your brother's keeper.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was saddened to read about how most evangelizing doesn't mention the costs of being a Christian. I've been a Christian for over 25 years and I just thought you asked for forgiveness and promised not to do the sin again, and repeat, each time you break that promise. But looking at it from the true Marriage perspective, you must change. You must quit sinning, you must change your life. And you must be willing to give it all up. To follow where ever God may Lead.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The author's frequent, fully footnoted, use of many respected Christian authors and indeed the Bible itself, led strong credence to the explanations put forth. I was provided a free copy of this book by Glass Road PR. I am not obligated to write a positive review in return for the book.</span><br />
<div style="clear: both; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; padding-top: 10px; width: 1462px;"></div>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-3009609472528380632010-11-15T05:15:00.000-08:002010-11-15T05:15:00.262-08:00Glass Road PR Book Tour for an Uncertain Heart by Andrea BoeshaarI thoroughly enjoyed the book<i> Uncertain Heart </i>by Andrea Boeshaar. I must confess I went in with doubts. I realized after I received the book from Glass Road that it was book two in the Seasons of Redemption Series. As a rule I do not read series out of order, I do not like wondering how we got where we are. I do not like missing references that are clearly from previous books and I do not like the feeling of being dropped in the middle of a story. I managed to quell my urge to go buy book one before plowing into book two. I also am not a huge fan of historical novels. All that being said, I loved this book. I never felt like I had been dropped anywhere. I enjoyed the writing style, and the history. I enjoyed the words from a different time (who says "valise" anymore?) and I enjoyed the story.<br />
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The story is compelling and made me realize how far we, as women have truly come. I also enjoyed a sexy romance novel with not one hint of anything more than a kiss. Some of the scenes were steamy by my standards, and yet nobody removed a stitch of clothing. The romance between Sarah and Richard was innocent and pure, yet flirty. They fed off of each other from the first moment. It was cute and a very good example of what love should be, on his part at least. Sarah was a bit strong-willed and this caused her a number of problems had she been a little more willing to listen to people around her. I found myself rooting for Sarah and Richard finally coming together at the same time and spending their lives in Milwaukee and having a family of their own. I was trying to figure out how she would stay in the children's lives if that happened.<br />
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I wish the father had been less the bad guy. He really had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The story could have been more if he had been a bit more complex. The author tried to explain it through the mother and the grandmother, but that excuse fell flat. He was self-centered and did not seem to care much about his children one way or the other. He wasn't even a man of his word, which in the setting of the novel would have made him quite a scoundrel. Instead the author played it off like because he was rich, his dishonesty was acceptable in society.<br />
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The story was engaging and for me it was a "read it all at once" book, not unlike Karen Kingsbury. I came away with a lesson and a good feeling. I would call it a bit more than a beach read, but not too heavy. It was light and fun. I will now go out a search for additional books by this author.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-44470797753876594242010-10-19T17:58:00.000-07:002010-10-19T17:58:09.288-07:00The Grace of God by Andy Stanley<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In The Grace of God, Andy Stanley takes us on a tour of God’s grace throughout the Bible. He took Bible verses and stories I was familiar with and told them through the lens of Grace. I never really considered the fall of Adam and Eve in that way. I also really never considered discipline to be Grace. The way Mr. Stanley explains it however, it is definitely Grace. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then in the retelling of Jonah I was quite convicted. I thought much about my Ninevites. I also thought much about my “vines”. When I heard Amazing Grace before, I always thought of Jesus. He paid for our sins with his life and through His Grace we are saved. But I found this to be an in-depth review of his lineage, from Abraham to Jesus. This was a great perspective. It also reminded me that God uses imperfect people. He even grants Grace to us imperfect people. And some of the greatest Heroes of the Bible like David and Solomon were woefully imperfect.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All in all I came away from reading this book feeling better. Knowing we don’t deserve Grace is often forgotten. Being reminded of all the people who have gone before us who did not deserve Grace and were given it anyway makes me feel better about being a human. I came away with a new lease on life and a renewed passion to grant grace whenever possible. Even to those Ninevites in my life.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; line-height: 20.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”</i></span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-10132808399524926252010-10-15T11:31:00.001-07:002010-10-15T11:31:38.971-07:00Transforming Church in rural America by Shannon O'Dell Book Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O'Dell is a great book for a pastor or leader who wants to grow their church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who doesn't want this?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I found this book informational mostly because I really don't know anything about the inner workings of a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could also clearly see some of the things he referred to being problems in my own church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chuckle each time I leave my own sanctuary with its dedicated pews and brass plaques on everything from the Chandeliers to the stained glass windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could only imagine the fight over removing some of these things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our church building dates back to the 1800's and even though it burned to the ground once it was rebuilt and dedicated to the original families that built building one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yes, what a fight that would be.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">While I don't lead a church I can see where the information presented could be used in other work related areas and plan to use it with my own teams in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also gave me some ideas to get more involved in the church and offer my talents to helping build the team.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This book also made me reflect on church splits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What caused them and where the two sides are now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So as a non-Pastor I found this book brought me a lot of insight and wisdom I do plan to pass my copy onto my Pastor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't hold out much hope for removing the brass plaques though.</div>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-3864138704038409582010-09-30T10:06:00.001-07:002010-09-30T10:06:53.312-07:00Seeds of Turmoil: The Biblical Roots of the Inevitable Crisis in the Middle East by Bryant Wright<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><em>Seeds of Turmoil: The Biblical Roots of the Inevitable Crisis in the <place w:st="on">Middle East</place></em> by Bryant Wright was a tough book to read. It wasn't that long and didn't use big words, but for the first 70 or so pages it repeated the same story again and again. For me it was a story I was already familar with. Abraham and Sarah did not trust God, yet again. She sent him to Hagar, Hagar bore Abraham a son, Ishmael, later Sarah bore Abraham the rightful heir --let the infighting begin. <br />
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After that story, the book began to take off. But honestly, if I had not had to finish this book to write a review, I probably would never have finished it. I never would have gotten to the parts of the story I did not already know. I had heard of Esau and Jacob, but I did not really know the whole story. I knew of Jacob's sons and the tribes of <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Israel</place></country-region> and of course the story of Joseph, but again the fine details presented in a slightly different way were educational. <br />
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I found the geographical descriptions of the area enlightening. I also found it fascinating to consider <country-region w:st="on">Iran</country-region>'s role in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Israel</place></country-region>'s plight. I've always had trouble identifying their "dog in the fight". Why have they cared about <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Israel</place></country-region> so much, especially Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? <br />
<br />
This book helped me indentify their dog. It was like a lightbulb went off and I could say "Ohhhh I see." I still don't understand why he [Ahmadinejad] insists upon acting like a crazy little man, every chance he has at the world stage, but I get why he's angry now. <br />
<br />
I also finally understand the difference between the Shiites and Sunis. I've always wondered what makes a Muslim one or the other. I am sure in this age I could have just googled that, but I never did. <br />
<br />
I know that Jewish people have been and continue to be attacked and demeaned for their religion and ethnicity. I've never lived in a world where that was acceptable so I got a little annoyed at the author's recurrent warning against Jew bashing. I suppose there are some people who call themselves Christian who might need to hear that warning, frequently. <br />
<br />
I did take the author's advice and re-read Jonah. He was right it was funny. <br />
<br />
All in all I found the book interesting, if the author writes a new version, I would suggest telling the Abraham/Sarah/Hagar story once and giving the different points of view as some kind of supplemental chapters at the end.</span></div>Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-84488176561359618982010-09-22T13:09:00.001-07:002010-09-22T13:09:58.778-07:00Karen White -- The House on Tradd StreetI'm originally from Charleston, moved away more than a decade ago, but miss it very much. So I'm a sucker for Low Country writers, anything that allows me to travel back even in my mind. I enjoyed the premise, and I found the 3 main characters (Melanie, Jack and Sophie) developed well. Melanie's father was under developed and by contrast the Secretary in the Real Estate office was over developed. But I could even look past those flaws and still enjoy the book. <br />
<br />
My biggest problem with the book is that Karen repeatedly opened false starts. One glaring example is the "weekend" with Marc Longo. She never even discusses that weekend in the moment, and later refers to it as an after thought when she is considering he might be gay. Later during the ghost walk with Sophie, she talks about how the common assumption about the ghost of Mrs. Sue Howard Hardy pining over the death of her stillborn child is wrong. "I knew differently, of course, having spoken with the grieving woman once while out walking with my mother when I was a little girl." And that's it; she never tells the reader what the grieving woman told her. <br />
<br />
Another issue I have is the completely undeveloped relationship with Marc. It's like he's thrown in just to be the protagonist, and she has no interest in this character. We find out nothing about him, except what Jack and Melanie's father tell Melanie. He is brought in to move the story line along, and clearly the reader is supposed to believe he's a threat to Melanie, but there's never a show down. He's made out to be desperate and evil, but he never really does anything evil.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-1483858054095492572010-09-22T13:08:00.001-07:002010-09-22T13:08:43.724-07:00Melody Carlson -- Forgotten: Seventeen and HomelessLet first say I've enjoyed other books by Melody Carlson. I loved <em>A Mile in my Flipflops</em>. I'm an adult so I don't usually read teen fiction, but I've also enjoyed the Carter House Girls series. This book just wasn't on par with those. <br />
<br />
While I found the premise of the story heart wrenching and eye-opening, there was just too much to tell in the span of the short book. It also felt like the author may have been late for a deadline when she wrote the ending. Much of the book focused on a very short period of time and the week leading to the dance was given pages and pages of details. This is the style of writing I'm used to from Melody. There were a number of ways the author could have added details and developed characters, Genevieve, her friend at the nursing home could have been developed more, for example. The mother Character (Carlene) was so evil she felt one dimensional. And she's not even dealt with in the ending. It's like she never existed in the book at all. <br />
<br />
But by far the most glaring example of this failure to develop plot lines was the ending. A few months of a huge transition is summed up in a couple of pages. I did not understand why the ending was given the bum's rush. There were so many questions I had when I finished reading this book, what happened to Cybil? Where is the mother? For that matter where is the father? Everything just seems to tie up in a neat little package and it seemed a bit unrealistic to me. I love the redemption story and learning to lean on others, but for everything to just work out perfectly seems a tad unreasonable. God is great and he can turn your life around, but to a non-Christian going through trouble and turning to God, they might expect everything will all of a sudden turn around and become sunshine and rainbows, and that's very misleading to put it mildly. God promised we would have troubles in this world; Jesus is to help us get through them, not to clear a wide smooth path.Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422769448259762443.post-24282944826539954782010-09-22T13:06:00.001-07:002010-09-22T13:06:37.882-07:00Max Lucado -- Outlive your LifeWith <em>Outlive Your Life</em>, <strong>Max Lucado</strong> comes in with another sure-fire winner. He takes the reader through the book of Acts, but he blends it with today. He shows the reader how to apply the lessons of the Apostles from many years ago, to our lives. It was a sucker punch. Virtually every Christian in the world probably feels they could be doing more to spread the love and Grace of Jesus Christ. Many of us feel we just don’t have time. Many of us say we have too many things to do. Many of us are wrong. It’s time to step out of our clamshells and quit forgetting the bread. We are not alone on this planet, and we are not the sum total of our number of friends on Facebook. We don’t get credit for clicking “like” on a charity. It’s time for Christians of all persuasions to get off the couch and get some skin in the game.<br />
I’ve long been a fan of Max Lucado’s work. I’ve read many of his books, and some have stuck with me. I think this is another that will stick with me. I’m torn because on one hand I want to share my copy with everyone I know and on the other I want to read it a hundred more times.<br />
After reading this book, I had to ask myself why don’t I do more? <br />
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <<a href="http://booksneeze.com/">http://booksneeze.com/</a>> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <<a href="http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html">http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html</a>> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”Elisabeth Blackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081500403398798837noreply@blogger.com0